THE JUVENILE LAWS OF COLORADO
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encouraging, or contributing to the delin ing according to the form of delinquency of quency of the child," and such person is the child sought to be corrected. There have therefore responsible since the smoking of been but about two children out of a hundred tobacco injures the child and is therefore who have returned to the Juvenile Court in immoral conduct. In addition, Colorado the course of two or three years' work under has a positive law, passed in 1891, forbidding this law, where the parent was thus dealt the sale of tobacco to any child under 16 with, and the exceptional case is generally years of age. If a child wanders on the where there is no father and some poor railroad tracks more than once, or "hops" mother who works all day and simply cannot the cars, it endangers both its life and limb look after the child, and therefore parental as well as its morals, because it is a short responsibility does not really exist. The step from stealing coal, to stealing out of the child is without a home. It is such children box-car and the corner grocery, and finally that are generally sent to institutions. This tapping the till. The first acts of delinquen is avoided in many cases, however, by help cy in the case of a young murderer — who given the poor mother by the Court, shot a man when caught in the act of robbing through co-operation with the school. the cash drawer — have been traced back Of course the definition of "delinquency" only five or six years to running on the rail in other laws may be either broadened or road tracks and stealing from the cars in made less severe. One objection — though which he was either encouraged by his par really never seriously urged — to this defi ents, or what is the same thing, where the nition of delinquency in Colorado was that parent made no determined effort to correct it was putting too great a power in the hands him. Such a man has been known to have of the court, and that it would be abused by served a short sentence in jail for such the probation officers and the courts because offenses at the age of 12 or 13. It was sim the definition is so broad that almost any ply the beginning of a criminal career. And child in any community could be brought so in Denver we have brought in the parents within the terms thereof. Such fears have of such a possible future criminal when he is proved entirely groundless, since out of a mere child, and fined them $25 and costs, hundreds of cases brought to the Juvenile or sentenced them to thirty days in the Court, no such charge has ever been made, county jail. We do this when the efforts of and no exception has ever been taken to, or the officer fail to keep children from going appeal from, a single judgment. On the on the railroad tracks, stealing coal, or enter contrary, as delicate as the relation between ing the box cars, or playing about the trains. the parent and child is conceded to be, and Such a case is only an illustration of many. as ready as people naturally are to resent This fine is generally suspended on condition any unwarranted or unjust intrusion, under that the parent look after the child and keep this law in Colorado we do not know of a it off the tracks. In quite a number of cases, single case where any such abuse has been however, in Denver, fathers have been sent charged, and there have been several thous to jail on Saturday and released on Monday and cases under the law in the state. Such night, under a thirty days' sentence in jail, has been the real experience under these upon condition that three days be served laws. The whole spirit and purpose of the and twenty-seven days suspended, so long law is to help and assist the child in the home, as the child is kept off the tracks, not sent to where it needs assistance, and to compel the the saloon for beer or liquor, not sent to any parents to perform their duty where they are gambling house or house of ill-fame upon any neglecting the child. It stands to reason message or otherwise — the conditions of that neither the court nor the probation the suspended sentence against parents vary officers are desirous of bothering with a child
